Greene County judges rule in separate domestic assault cases

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson announced significant steps in two separate domestic assault cases on Friday.

An Ash Grove man was sentenced in one case. In another, a judge found probable cause for a Springfield man to go to trial.

Darrell Jon Beetler, 53, of Ash Grove, pleaded guilty Nov. 14 to two counts of second-degree domestic assault from a Jan. 15, 2013, incident during which he struck his then-girlfriend with his fists and a can of food.

Greene County Judge Calvin Holden sentenced Beetler to seven years in prison on each count with probation denied, and the sentences to run concurrently.

Beetler and his young son had moved in with the victim, whom he was dating at the time. On the day of the incident, a verbal argument escalated and Beetler attacked the woman and she lost consciousness, according to a news release.

“When she woke up, the defendant was on top of her, hitting her in the face with his firsts and with a can of food. The defendant’s minor son was present for the assault,” according to a Friday news release. “Officer recovered several items of evidence, including the can of food. Officers noted that the can had human hair stuck to it.”

The woman’s injuries included cuts to her face, a bite mark to her nose, and bruises to her arms, face, scalp and neck. At sentencing, she described other incidents with Beetler and said she felt like a “prisoner in her own home,” the release said.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Olivia McNair, who asked for 10 years. Beetler’s attorney asked for probation.

Beetler was also found to be a prior and persistent felony offender with previous convictions for unlawful use of a weapon and distribution of a controlled substance.

In a separate case Friday, Greene County Judge Jason Brown found there was probable cause for Felix Seals, 31, to go to trial on two counts of second-degree domestic assault and one count of victim tampering.

The domestic assault charges stemmed from incidents in February and March and involved Seals’ then-girlfriend. He was charged in July and held in the Greene County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

While in custody, Seals reportedly made several phone calls to his girlfriend “threatening her and instructing her with how to get the charges against him dropped,” according to a news release. Prosecutors alleged these calls formed the basis for the victim-tampering charge.

The victim didn’t appear at Seals’ preliminary hearing this week but the judge decided the case can move forward.